Portable lighting fixture



July 21, 1925.

L. ROTH PORTABLE LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Feb. 9. 1924 Patented July 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,54 ,941 PATENT. OFFICE.

LOUIS ROTH, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR IO STERLING BRONZE COMPANY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PORTABLE LIGHTING FIXTURE.

Application filed February 9, 1924. Serial No. 691,545.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Louis Born, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, county of Union, and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Portable Lighting Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

This: invention is a portable lighting fixture the same pertaining more particularly to a tiltable shade for anelectric lamp, although the invention is useful in connection with other types of lighting fixtures than portable electrics.

In this artit is desirable to frictionally retain a shade in shiftable relation to a lamp, in order that the angular position of the shade may be changed at will to suit the convenience of the reader and, when desired, to reflect the light rays in a direction which excludes the light from the eyes.

My invention is characterized by a balanced shade held frictionally in position, the weight of the shade being distributed equally with respect to the pivotal suspension, whereby the frictional contact of the shade with the suspension means is minimized.

Furthermore, the invention embodies novel means for pivotally and frictionally suspending the shade in a manner to facilitate dismounting the shade from the fixture and replacing the same with ease and facility.

To these ends, the invention embodies pivotal suspension means, and a balanced shade suspended by frictional contact with said suspension means.

The invention consists, further, in a plurality of spring members provided with globular contact faces, and a shade provided with sockets within which said contact faces are received for affording a pivotal connection between the shade and the members the resilience of which produces the frictional engagement required to retain the shade in the position into which said shade is shifted by hand pressure.

Other functions and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of any style of lighting fixture equipped with a. tiltable shade of my invention, the dotted lines illustrating one of several positions into. whichthe shade may be adjusted. i

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section illustrating the frictional shade suspension.

Figure 3 is a similar cross section in 'a plane at a. right angle to Figure 2.

A designates the pedestal of an electric portable fixture, one form of which is rep resented in Figure 1 as being provided with a base a and with an electric switch I) adapted for controlling the flow of electric current to a lamp 0, see dotted lines in Figure 2, supported as usual in a socket (not shown) at the top of the pedestal. It is apparent that the style of lighting fixture may be varied within wide limits, and the equipment may be changed by a skilled constructor, and, accordingly, I do not deem it necessary to further describe the fixture.

13 is a balanced shade, and G C are spring members having frictional and pivotal connection with said shade.

The-shade is of arched cross section with a wide open base (Z, but the particular contour, the material, and the en'ibellishment of the shade may be modified. to meet the demands of the trade. As shown,the shade is composed of metal with a curled rim 6, and in practice the outer surface of the shade is covered with an opaque coating, such as paint, whereas the under or inner surface of said shade is polished to serve the function of a reflector.

The shade is provided with sockets 7 pro-- duced in its wall at diametrically opposite points, said sockets being positioned about midway the depth of the shade. The metal of which the shade is composed is ofiset from the curved line of the shade wall, and the sockets are of rounded contour and protrude from the outer surface of the shade, as shown in Figure 2.

The spring members C C are shown as curved arms fixedly attached to a part of the fixture and provided with contact faces 9 in the form of approximately globular tips adapted to be partly received within the sockets f, whereby the shade is connected pivotally with the suspension means afforded by said spring members. Each spring memher is composed of a single piece of resilient wire bent to the required form and provided at its outer end with a globular tip g. The spring members are fastened to a collar k at the head of the pedestal A, and said spring members. diverge upwardly and outwardly with respect to said pedestal, see Figure 2.

The shade is connected pivotally to the spring'members by the'tips g of said spring members fitting'wit-hin the sockets f of the shade, said spring members being. deflected somewhat, or compressed more or less, by the contact of the shade with said-members, the effect of which is to place the members (I C under tension and: to press the tips 9 with more or less force intothe sockets, whereby the tips are frict-ionally engaged witlr the walls of said sockets. The pivotal and frictional contact between the spring members and the shade is sufficient to retain the shade in the several positions into which it may be moved by hand pressure, but in View of the pivotal attachment of the spring members with the shade intermediate the depth of said shade,.the latter is balanced on the'spring' members, the weightof said shade being distributed equally onopposite sides of the diametrical line constituting the axis of movement of the shade, the effect of which is to demand or require a minimum frictional contact between afixture and said balanced shade. At the same time, the shade is demountable with facility by compressing. the spring arms and disengaging the globular tips from the shade sockets, thus permitting free access to the lamp for renewal and cleaning purposes. It is apparent that the shade is replaceable with ease and facility, for the reason that the spring arms are readily compressed and the shade adjusted for the socketsto receive the globular tips.

Although I have described the shade as composed of metal drawn or spun to the desired shape, it is'apparent that the particular material is not essential, and that other materials such as glass, may be utilized in the production of the shade;

Having thus fully' described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In alighting fixture, a shade provided with a plurality of sockets open on the inner surface of the shade, a fixture member, and a plurality of arms pivotally connected with said sockets: of the shade, said arms being of spring formation and contacting under pressure with the shade for frictiona-lly retaining the latter in one of a plurality of positions with respect to the fixture member.

2. In a lighting fixture, a shade provided intermediate its depth with sockets which are open on the inner surface of said shade, and a plurality ofspring arms having frictional contact with said sockets of the shade, said arms being compressible for effecting the disengagement of the shade from the arms. whereby the shade may be dismounted.

8. In a lighting. fixture, a shade provided with a plurality of pockets, and a plurality of springmembers'each provided with a substantially globular tip adapted by resiliency of'the member for frictional contact with a socket, whereby the shade is pivotally connected with said spring members and is carried solely thereby.

In testimony whereof I have hereto signed my name this 25 day of January, 1924.

LOUIS ROTH. 

